


Salt Water to Wash my Soul Clean

by orphan_account



Category: Haven - Fandom
Genre: Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Missing Scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-31
Updated: 2015-05-31
Packaged: 2018-04-02 03:49:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 651
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4044778
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Missing scene for S1's Harmony. Duke and Nathan, after Nathan regains his sanity and they wait for Audrey to arrive.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Salt Water to Wash my Soul Clean

**Author's Note:**

> Timeline: Missing scene, set during Season 1's Harmony
> 
> Author's note: I liked the scenes between Duke and Nathan in this episode, how they were both essentially fighting over Audrey, both displaying Alpha male behaviour, both desperate for Audrey's good opinion - and for each other's. In the scene where Nathan becomes himself again, I noticed he was holding a cup of coffee on Duke's boat as he and Audrey talk... and that inspired me to write this.
> 
> Your thoughts and impressions are most welcome!

"Sleeping beauty's awake, and I'm all done playing Prince Charming."

He acknowledged her reply, heard her poorly-concealed relief, and then hung up. "Audrey's coming over," he informed Nathan.

"What...?" Nathan was looking about him, disorientated, seemingly too out of it still to even finish his question.

"Long story short," said Duke, kneeling down to undo the chains, "you went psycho, tried to beat the crap out of me, and then Audrey tasered you."

Nathan attempted to get to his feet as soon as the chains were off, but instead he fell forward towards the deck.

"Whoa, easy," Duke said, catching his shoulders and pushing him down again, "just sit tight, okay?" He could feel Nathan's body trembling underneath his hands; muscles protesting after straining against the chains.

"Did I hurt anybody?" Nathan managed to say.

"Yeah, you almost choked me to death." But he knew Nathan was thinking of Audrey, so he said, "No, you didn't hurt anyone else."

Nathan relaxed a little then. He was still too pale, a faint line of sweat at his brow, and Duke was half-afraid he'd pass out. That would not impress Audrey, especially now that Nathan was sporting a brand new swollen lip that hadn't been there when she'd left. She'd accuse him of neglect or carelessness or something, and he'd lose all his brownie points with her.

"I'm gonna get you some coffee," he told Nathan. "Audrey will be here any minute so don't go anywhere."

He set about making the coffee, topping it up with cold water, wondering why he was even bothering. He could just give Nathan a mug of boiling water, let him scald his tongue - he wouldn't even know.

But Duke would know. And it would be just another thing to add to the long list of stuff he had to feel guilty for. Like the look on Nathan's face that day when Duke had invited him to go "fishing". They'd pounded on each other for what seemed like hours, both sweating and streaming with blood, but it was only when Duke put a fishhook through Nathan's hand that they both realised he couldn't feel. Bewilderment, fear, the sledging accident all over again - except this time Duke hadn't gotten to play the knight in shining armour. This time, he'd put that look there himself.

Maybe that was why he tolerated Nathan hassling him about stuff these days. Deep down, he suspected he probably deserved it. And Nathan got to feel in control, less like the victim he'd been at school. So everyone was a winner.

Ah, but Audrey... she was the game changer. He liked her, a lot, more than he'd care to admit, and he thought she could like him back if it wasn't for Nathan. Nathan, who had the whole helpless, vulnerability vibe going for him, and he didn't even realise it. Chicks dug that vibe. It made their mothering instincts kick in or something. Whereas Duke had never really been the type to inspire maternal instinct - not even from his own mother.

He went back out into the sunlight where Nathan, despite being told to stay put, had made it to the bow of the boat.

He handed Nathan the coffee, and Nathan took it without meeting his eyes. Then Duke caught sight of Audrey's car coming down the marina. He had no desire to be a witness to their little reunion, so he decided to disappear up the masthead.

And, he reasoned as he climbed, if he volunteered to help them later, it wouldn't be from some twisted sense of atonement, or to try and impress Audrey. No, it was because Haven was his home, and he had as much right as anybody to know if the Troubles were back.

Below him, the sea stretched on for miles upon miles, until he could no longer tell where the water ended and the sky began.

_Finis_


End file.
